Trump’s Comments Invoke Model Minority Myth

Jan 13, 2018

Eliza Noh, associate professor of Asian American studies, was quoted in a Washington Post analysis stemming from President Trump's controversial comments last week about immigrants.

The Post had reported that the president also suggested he would be open to more immigrants from Asian countries because he felt that they help the United States economically. Comments of Trump surrogates were cited, supporting his position.

Noh pointed out that the immigration system favors Asians from highly-educated families in Asia and said: “Since 1965, some Asian American immigrants have come to the U.S. under certain immigration preference categories that favor professional skills and training. Those groups tend to already have educational training and economic resources, which they invest in their children’s education. Their access to social and economic capital is what fuels academic achievement.”

The author noted that the view that Asian immigrants are skilled brings up another set of stereotypes about Asian immigrants, who are often painted as hard-working family units who have achieved the American Dream. It's known at the “model minority” myth.